Broken
by teaandwhouffles
Summary: Whoufflé AU. A misperceived baking obsessed flirt, a clever madman and the story of how he saved her. (A lot to start with based on purely Clara Oswald.) M because it may be triggering for some. A story that means a lot to me because of the same/similar experiences to an extent. Reviews appreciated.
1. Broken

There were a lot of things people didn't know about Clara Oswald. Some people may say that she was lucky, but the truth was far from that. She could play sassy, she could play flirty, but those characteristics weren't her either. You could list so many words to describe her, but I assure you, not one of them would be the right shape of puzzle piece. Then you could list almost all of the opposites, and not a single word of them told a lie.

"You're such a strong woman, Clara." Her grandmother used to say to her teenage self.

"You have such lovely, supportive friends, they'll help you through this hard time." The head mistress of her secondary told her, just after her mother passed away. She clung onto those words like a leotard clung onto a dancers body. She let them ring on in her head- it was something to look forward to, it was a warning of hope. One that she needed. They were also lies.

"What friends?" She'd ask herself in the mirror. Her bedroom felt warmer than the people that surrounded her. The constant of feeling alone in a packed room, she'd recall every evening. "What mum?" Her knees crippled beneath her and she sobbed silently, shaking uncontrollably on the floor.

_ Broken._ The air thickened around her as she thought about the word carefully and tears stained carbon black due to the eye make-up she wore religiously streamed down face. She was Broken.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, hello there anyone who's lovely enough to have given this fic a chance. Well, since this is the first official chapter, I don't really have a lot to say, apart from hello and thank you. Um, well, I hope I haven't disappointed anyone and if anyone likes this, I shall continue (As I've written more..)**

** I thought I'd update this for mother's day, which was today, in dedication of my own mother- Happy mother's day! I love you. And I do admit possibly letting a tear appear typing this. **

**Anyway, Broken. Chapter One. Enjoy.**

**Reviews are appreciated :)**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Doctor who or these characters, as much as I'd like to but I do own this experience..**.

* * *

Clara's mother had been ill for quite some time before it happened, but Ellie Oswald's death had still been quite a shock to the family. Ellie had just gone out for a long overdue coffee and catch up with her best friend one morning, after she'd dropped Clara at the gates of her secondary school. The two women used to have 'see-who-can-do-the-worst' competitions, of which the worst usually ranged from 'I used gone off milk this morning' to 'my husband's walked out on me', and Ellie dropped an abnormality she'd noticed into this 'game', thinking nothing of it. Her friend almost didn't believe her, but when it was confirmed true, Ellie was being nagged for the whole morning to book a doctor's appointment- one that was luckily available early that afternoon. By the time that Clara had returned at 5pm that evening (Thursdays she was always home late, Thursday was Astronomy club) her mother had a packed overnight bag blocking her path in the hallway an announced that she'd be paying a short visit to the hospital.

"Nothing too serious, they just want me in overnight to make some observations." She promised. Illnesses break promises.

After a week of bedside visits and the twelve year old not being in the presence of her mother 24/7 as she'd hoped, Clara drew her favourite of the nurses a picture of Ellie back at home, looking healthy as ever, with the whole family present.

"We're only making her better, lovely; mummy will be home again soon." And she trudged back into the corridor as her father pulled her into a tight embrace.

Clara didn't let anything that was going on show in public- Although, at school her grades were dropping by not much more than a tiny percentage, she handed in a sufficient amount of work, and as expected, met almost every one of her deadlines. Nothing different through everyone else's eyes, and since she'd not long started secondary school, the teachers were only just adjusting to her consistent capabilities in every subject. The truth was, she was reluctant to even leave her mother in the staff's safe hands- As soon as she did, she was in her room keeping herself to herself and occasionally having a well needed cry.

It almost seemed a miracle when they discharged Ellie on Christmas Eve and the Oswald's were overwhelmed with joy. Clara didn't adore anything more than cuddles with her mother and discussing characters and other possible endings to the book she'd just finished. She was over the moon when that she'd returned. 'Best present ever', she told her family.

This was hardly the end. On New Year's Day, Ellie was found collapsed on the bathroom floor, having vomited her own blood. Yet again, she was rushed to hospital, but this time in an ambulance. Another incident similar occurred in April, and then November, before events of this sort became more frequent as Clara entered year eight.

The worst thing, the most horrible memory was the waiting in the resuss hallway, pre-patient-to-be-moved-to-a-ward, for an update, only to receive a sad smile and the words

"We'll do what we can." For periods of time, Ellie would become completely bed bound, sometimes not being able to speak, move or register anyone or any of her surroundings.

"Mum, it's me." Clara would repeat, laying a gift on her table. She could barely struggle a simple smile back. This was often cause her daughter to 'need the toilet', which wasn't even a subtle way of saying she needed some time alone and maybe even a place to quietly sob, since she'd likely just been before she came in.

Clara was lucky if her mother was home a week before the next month long hospital visit. It may as well have been her home. Even when Ellie was stable, they'd often warn her husband that that month was likely her last and the family should prepare for nothing but the worst.

The presence of her life was almost a miracle. Once year nine, Clara's third school at the large school had crept up on her, Ellie had been revived. After a few months gap, November was her last visit and the cause was a stupid, known mistake- a blasting headache caused her to take an the wrong sort of painkiller, which her still fragile body reacted badly to.

Despite the disappointment of not being able to be there for her daughter the majority of three, major, teenage years, a full recovery was in sight. Even the doctors saw a positive outcome and all of the nurses were proud of Ellie's incredible strength. How did she do it? How was she healthy again? Every check-up she'd bring the staff a thank you gift for always being there, always putting up with her and always saving her. The younger brunette clung onto every moment she had with her. So many times she'd seen the tipping point, for years she'd sat right on the edge of her mother's death, yet never being prepared. Every moment had to be special and she valued every second they shared. Ellie was extremely lucky.

Only very rarely did they argue, usually over stupid matters but Clara felt bad influencing choices her mother was initially reluctant to carry out and regretted every simple disagreement, even over politics, for some reason, she got a little sensitive when anyone was against her mum's choices or slated those opinions.

* * *

Ellie smiled weakly as her daughter attempted to mark her new contemporary solo in the small space that they called a living room. A few trips took place that she'd usually laugh at, but right then, she wasn't sure if she could seek out the energy. Clara frowned once she'd finished her routine. She wasn't too sure if her mother was off focus or just disinterested but she went for the latter, not having seen that kind of distance in her eyes since her last admittance to the hospital.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"Of course I do, beautiful. So beautiful that we can go to that new book shop in town an attempted to find you something you haven't read yet." Clara giggled in response, a grin spreading from ear to ear. Although she appeared the happiest child in the world, the sixteen year old still doubted the truth in her mother statement and that restricted how she could've felt.

"You're the best, mum." Ellie let out a sound remotely similar to a quiet laugh in response and stood up. The older brunette grabbed the almost abnormally short teenagers hand and picked up her burgundy bag on the way out of the door in a sweep. Sometimes the younger of the Oswald pair could be rather unpredictable- Clara dragged her mother as she skipped along the narrow pavement.

"Clara, slow down… Ple-" The taller woman could barely finish slurring those few words before she found herself sprawled across the hard, dark grey concrete path with a certainty of unconsciousness. The tug on the teenagers arm caused her to turn, crouching in a panic beside her.

"Mum?!" She took hold of her, expecting a response and after needing no more clarification calling an ambulance. _It's going to be okay, Clara_. She told herself, _She's strong, she can cope. She's Ellie Oswald, she's a miracle_. Clara's fingers trembled, holding her mother like she never could again._ Of course, everything's going to be fine._ But she could never again.

This time was different; there was nothing they could do.

Clara had lost the person that made her most happy forever… How could it go from skipping along the street to buy a book, to a sobbing adolescence on the floor of a medical building, desperate to see her mother, her inspiration, her best friend, just once more. Her father wasn't even aware. He was probably impatiently waiting outside their house, repeating the motion of ringing the doorbell, having yet again forgotten his keys. Clara couldn't even answer her mobile when it rung. Who'd tell him?

_All she wished for in that moment was for it to be a terrible nightmare._


End file.
